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government of Khazarian empire

Although basically Turkic, the Khazar state bore little resemblance to the other Turkic empires of central Eurasia. It was headed by a secluded supreme ruler of semireligious character called a
khagan—who wielded little real power—and by tribal chieftains, each known as a
beg. The state’s military organization also seems to have lacked the forcefulness of those of the greater...

...previously operated from bases on Lakes Ladoga and Onega established a new centre, near present-day Ryazan. There, in this period, the first nominal ruler of Rus (called, like the Khazar emperor,
khagan) is mentioned by Islamic and Western sources. This Volga Rus
khagan state may be considered the first direct political antecedent of the Kievan state.